Unsolved Equations
by kcalbnahpro
Summary: AU. Cosima has a secret. Delphine has a secret. Little do they know that what they're both hiding involves each other and dates back to when they were just 8 years old. Mystery! Intrigue! (Contains several characters from OB)
1. Chapter 1

**This idea has been floating in my head for awhile, so I decided to put it down on paper. Let me know what you think!**

* * *

**Paris, France – 1992**

The laboratory, usually so full of life and activity, was quiet. Lab equipment sat untouched, pages of scientific equations left unsolved. The scientists who usually occupied these items had gathered themselves at the center of the lab, their focus now on the two men in front of them – the lead scientists.

Clad in their crisp white Dyad lab coats, Doctor Ethan Duncan and Doctor Bernard Cormier addressed the small crowd. The news they delivered had been shocking, a blow to morale, leaving the lab in an unusual silence.

"Terminated?" said one of the scientists, finally speaking up. Doctor Fournier muscled his way through the group, his round pudgy face gasping for air, until he stood directly in front of the lead scientists. "What do you mean terminated?"

"Funding for Project Leda has been pulled. Project Leda is dead," explained Duncan. "Instead the money will be funneled into a new cloning assignment – Project Castor."

"Male clones," said Cormier derisively, earning an irritated look from Duncan. Doctor Cormier had hardly said a word during the meeting, but those he did say were all laced with contempt.

"Military," said another scientist. Every head in the room turned to find the voice, which belonged to a tall man in a thick pair of glasses. His nametag identified him as Niehaus. "You're turning our research over to the military, aren't you?"

Grumbles of displeasure erupted from the crowd of scientists. It wasn't long before the grumbles turned to angry shouts and protests. Duncan raised his arms, hushing the irate crowd.

"Look, Project Leda was created so we could prove human cloning was possible," Duncan said. "Now that we have, it's time to move on. So, yes, the military has-"

"What of our research? And us?" interrupted another scientist, a short woman with short brown hair. Her ID tag identified her as Hendrix. "And what about our girls?

She waved her hand to the far corner of the room where a group of about 13 small children stood playing in a makeshift play area. They were all female, all identical in appearance, save for one who was taller than the rest and had wavy blonde hair. They all looked to be about 8-years-old.

"All of you and your research will be needed over at Project Castor," Duncan answered. "As for the girls… Well, they'll be dealt with."

More hushed whispers and grumbles of disapproval sprang from the crowd, but Duncan had delivered his message, he was done. Gathering his things, the lead scientist detached himself from the group and moved toward the exit, never bothering to acknowledge the questions thrown his way.

There were several long, loud minutes of arguing before Doctor Fournier found his way to the front of the pack again.

"What do you have to say about all this Doctor Cormier? Surely you're not on board."

"I assure you I'm not, Doctor Fournier," Cormier said. "In fact, I'm very much against it."

"So what do we do now?" asked Doctor Hendrix. "How do we save our little girls?"

Doctor Cormier turned toward the children, who were now busy giggling and running to and fro. He had always known this was a possibility, that – whether successful or not – the cloning experiment could be shut down without a moment's notice. He just didn't think it would be now, not when they successfully cloned 12 beautiful girls, 12 beautiful girls whose lives only just begun.

The thought of "terminating" these 12 clones killed Bernard Cormier. He treated each as if they were his own daughter. In fact, Cormier had become a father himself around the same time the first clone was born. Over the years his daughter Delphine became a regular fixture in the lab, interacting with the girls, playing with the girls, giving the girls – albeit small – some semblance of a normal life.

Bernard Cormier took a few extra moments to watch Delphine play with the girls now. As usual Delphine was all smiles, her wavy blonde hair easily spotted among the sea of brunette. Finally he turned back to the small crowd of waiting scientists.

"We run," Cormier said simply. "We take our clones, we take our research – sequences, equations, whatever made these girls possible – and we run. Nothing gets left behind for Project Castor."

"Run where?" asked Doctor Niehaus.

"Anywhere," answered Cormier, "London! Spain! China! San Francisco! It doesn't matter, just get out of here. Hide."

"Won't we be obvious?" asked Doctor Hendrix. "A group of scientists traveling with clones?"

"We split up," Cormier said, as if the answer was obvious. "You've all worked closely with a particular clone…"

Cormier hoped the scientist could fill in the rest of the blanks. It wasn't an ideal plan, it wasn't much of a plan at all, but it was their only choice. The scientists turned toward each other, discussing options and voicing concerns, until two of the men backed away from the group.

"I'm sorry, Doctor Cormier," said one of the men. "I can't do this, I can't just run away. I have a family."

The other scientist nodded and followed the man as they backed toward the lab's exit. As soon as their backs hit the doorframe they bolted from the room.

"So now what?" asked Doctor Fournier. "We've got way more clones than scientists."

"I know a guy," said Cormier, his voice low. "His name's Carlton. He'll keep the unclaimed clones in the black – undocumented, out of the system – until they can be placed in a new home."

Doctor Fournier looked skeptical, but nodded his head anyway.

"Right, then," Cormier said, grabbing a stack of folders from the table. He flipped one open and read aloud. "Doctor Niehaus you'll be responsible for 324B21, a.k.a. Cosima. Doctor Hendrix you'll be responsible for 324B26, a.k.a. Alison."

Doctor Cormier continued dolling out clones until 324B22 (Rachel), 324B23 (Sarah) and 324B24 (Helena) were the only three that remained. They'd be the three disappearing into Carlton's pipeline, most likely never to be seen by Doctor Cormier or this group of scientists ever again.

One by one each of the scientists packed their belongings, gathered their clone and disappeared from the lab until Doctor Cormier and Doctor Fournier were the only two left.

"Listen, I know you said we should run," said Doctor Fournier, "but I think I'll stay in Paris with Danielle. Now I know it might be dangerous, but I'll be on the look-out for any-"

"Will you do me a favor then?" Cormier asked, grasping Fournier's arm with a grip so tight he nearly made the man yelp. "Will you watch over Delphine? Make sure she's safe?"

"Of course, but why-"

"This plan means I have to disappear as well. This plan means I'll probably never see my family again."

* * *

**Minneapolis, Minnesota – 2014**

"Is this seat taken?"

Delphine wheeled around, the voice startling her. She had been stuck in the lab all day staring through a microscope that she nearly forgot where she was. Not a single person had bothered her since arriving, but now standing before her was a petite dreadlocked brunette with glasses sporting a very toothy smile. The girl waited for Delphine to respond, her eyes moving back and forth between the seat and Delphine's face.

"No," Delphine finally said, waving a hand at the chair, "it's all yours."

Delphine lowered her eye back to the microscope, but was soon interrupted by the woman again.

"Is that for Doctor Dean's class?"

When Delphine looked up she found the woman pointing at her papers.

"Yes," Delphine said, her brows furrowed, "how did you know?"

"I took his class last semester and recognized the lab. That's a tough one."

"Tell me about it. I've been in the lab all day and still have a ways to go."

Delphine lowered her eye down to the microscope again, hoping this time the woman would get the hint.

"Do you want help?"

Delphine raised her eyes and surveyed the girl. She looked genuine in her offer, that big grin on her face once more.

"Do you mind?" asked Delphine.

"Not at all," the girl said, waving her hands in front of her. "I'm Cosima Niehaus by the way."

Delphine shook the hand Cosima presented and offered her own name.

"Delphine Beraud. Enchantée."

Cosima smiled big, a little blush creeping up her neck.

"Okay, so the key with this lab is in the prep," Cosima said, sliding her lab stool close to Delphine so they were practically shoulder to shoulder. Next she reached across Delphine, just slightly brushing her arm, and picked up the pipette. "And this little guy will be your best friend."

* * *

Three hours. That's how long Cosima had been stuck in the lab, hunched over a microscope with the beautiful blonde woman. Cosima thought it was totally worth it, though, even if she didn't get any of her own work done.

All Cosima wanted now, however, was some wine and nice quiet, relaxing night back at her apartment. Unlocking her door, she tossed her bag on the ground, but suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. There, on her couch, sat Sarah Manning, bowl of cereal balanced in one hand and the TV remote in the other.

"Well, it's about bloody time you showed up," Sarah said, crunching through a mouthful of cereal. "Marion Bowles has been looking all over for you. Says you missed your meeting."

"Shit," mumbled Cosima, looking at her watch. "I completely forgot. Why didn't you just take the meeting?"

"She was looking for the Geek Monkey," said Sarah, shrugging her shoulders. "That's not my area of expertise."

"Any what exactly is your area of expertise, Sarah?"

"Last time I checked I was the only one defending us, yeah?"

Cosima rolled her eyes. She was sick of it; sick of being the one that was responsible for all the research.

Cosima plopped down at the desk and fired up the laptop. If Marion Bowles had been trying to get a hold of her all day, she'd certainly take her call now, even if it was late. Almost immediately Bowles answered, her image popping up onto the laptop's screen.

"You missed our meeting," said Marion.

"I know, I'm sorry," Cosima said, readjusting herself in her seat. "I was stuck in the lab, lost track of time."

Marion pressed her lips together in a thin line, obviously unhappy with the news.

"Need I remind you we have six dead clones, two missing, and one captured?" Marion pressed. "Your safety's at stake, Cosima. Yours, Sarah's, Alison's… Those involved with Project Castor will stop at nothing to wipe all evidence of Project Leda clones from existence. "

"I know, I know," Cosima said, annoyed. "What have you found out? Anything new?"

"In fact, I have," Marion said, opening a folder. "My sources have confirmed that Doctor Ethan Duncan is dead. Before his passing, however, he gave Project Castor all his research, synthetic sequences etcetera – but it amounts to only half of the equation."

Marion rummaged in her folder and pulled out an old, crumpled photo of a man wearing a lab coat, a scientist.

"Who's that?" asked Cosima.

"This is Doctor Bernard Cormier, a Frenchman and lead scientist number two on Project Leda."

Cosima leaned in closer to look at the picture. All this time she had thought Doctor Ethan Duncan was the sole brilliant mind behind Project Lead, behind human cloning.

"So where is he?

"Doctor Bernard Cormier is in hiding, has been since 1992, that's why we're only hearing of him now." Marion continued. "He holds the secrets to the other half of the equation, the secrets that make human cloning possible. Needless to say, Project Castor wants him. We need to find him first."

"How?" Cosima asked. "The man's been missing for nearly twenty-two years. He obviously doesn't want to be found."

"That's why I needed to meet with you today," Marion said, "Doctor Bernard Cormier had a daughter. No one knows about her, in fact, every trace of her has been scrubbed from the record books. But the intel has been confirmed, and my sources tell me she attends the same university as you."

"What's her name?"

"First name: Delphine. Last name: unknown."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Whoa, great response! Thanks for reading! Here's Chapter 2 - let me know what you think.**

* * *

"Do you know her?"

Sarah's words echoed loudly in the room, yet they sounded so distant to Cosima, who remained frozen at her desk. Marion Bowles' image had disappeared from the computer screen nearly ten minutes earlier, all that remained now was the captured grainy image of Doctor Bernard Cormier.

Cosima stared at the picture trying to make a connection between Bernard Cormier, the French scientist, and Delphine Beraud, the beautiful blonde she met in the lab. But it was like trying to compare apples to oranges; the only observable similarities being that the two were both tall and blonde.

Cosima leaned in further, her nose inches from the monitor when suddenly she felt the dull thud of a pillow connecting with the side of her head.

"What the hell, Sarah?"

"Do you know her?" Sarah asked again, pointing at the screen. "Do you know the woman Marion Bowles was going on about?"

Cosima considered the question. Should she tell Sarah about Delphine Beraud? Was she even the "Delphine" they were looking for? Something held Cosima back. No use in jumping to conclusions, not before she had all the facts about the mysterious blonde.

"Nope, never heard of her," Cosima said with a shrug, her eyes looking everywhere but at Sarah.

"Well, you know what that means," Sarah said, standing up from the couch and stretching. "You and I have a date with the University of Minnesota bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Wait, what?" Cosima said, head snapping to Sarah. "What are you talking about?"

"And they call you the Geek Monkey…" Sarah shook her head and mumbled some more indiscernible words under her breath. She was halfway out the door before she poked her head back in and added, "See you tomorrow. Don't be late."

* * *

Cosima spotted Sarah as soon as she stepped into the student union on the University of Minnesota campus. The grungy, punk clone stuck out like a sore thumb, her blue plaid sweatshirt – the hood up – and black leather pants clashing with the majority of students. Sarah stood by herself in the middle of the union, nodding at a few passersby before occupying herself with the large bulletin board on the wall behind her. Ten minutes passed before Cosima finally joined her.

"What are you doing here, Sarah?" Cosima hissed. She kept her eyes straight ahead, every so often picking at one of the flyers on the notice board.

"Finding Delphine," Sarah answered. She took her time studying a "Wanted: Dog Walker" flyer before finally turning to face Cosima. "Boss's orders."

"_My _orders," Cosima corrected.

Sarah shrugged as she casually leaned herself against the board. "I'm here as backup then."

"Backup? For what?" Cosima asked, scoffing at the thought. "I think I can handle myself against a willowy blo – er – person. A willowy person. If she's willowy, that is."

If Sarah noticed Cosima's slip-up she didn't say anything. She was too busy watching a small group of students nearby. There was nothing special about the group, just that they happened to be female and had the unlucky fortune of passing Sarah at that exact moment.

"Sarah, no," Cosima warned. "Don't even think about it."

Sarah waved Cosima off and marched toward the group. It didn't take long for the girls to notice the grungy brunette blocking their path, and as soon as they realized she wasn't moving, they stopped walking and their talking ceased. That's when Sarah jumped into her interrogation.

"Any of you Delphine?" Sarah asked the group.

The girls shook their heads.

"Any of you know a Delphine?"

They shook their heads again.

Sarah groaned and jutted her thumb over her shoulder. "Piss off then."

At once the group of girls scattered, leaving Sarah to hunt down her next victims. Cosima watched it all unfold from afar. She couldn't believe her eyes. Not only were Sarah's actions senseless, but they were tactless. And before Sarah could corner another gaggle of girls, Cosima yanked the clone back to the bulletin board.

"What?" Sarah shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

"Sarah, we're supposed to be discreet," Cosima said through gritted teeth. "Let me handle th-"

"Cosima! Cosima!"

The voice rang out somewhere from behind Cosima and when she turned around she saw the perfect golden curls of Delphine Beraud rushing toward her. The tall blonde was all smiles and enthusiastic waves – a sight Cosima would've enjoyed much more if Sarah hadn't been hovering right behind her.

"Who's that?" Sarah asked.

"Lab partner," Cosima lied, pushing away from her sister. "Go home, Sarah. We'll talk later."

Cosima tried putting some distance between her and Sarah, but Delphine was too quick. By the time she took a step, the blonde was already next to her.

"Bonjour, Cosima," Delphine said with her perfect French pronunciation. "I'm so glad I caught you. Am I interrupting?"

She nodded toward Sarah, who had resumed picking at some flyers on the notice board. Cosima noticed that the brunette clone was now turned, face hidden, but she was still very much within earshot.

"Oh, no," Cosima said, waving her hands. "I don't know who that is."

"Weren't you two just talking?" Delphine asked, once again peering over Cosima's shoulder at Sarah.

"She needed some directions; seems pretty lost," Cosima said, tugging lightly on Delphine's sleeve. "Walk me to class?"

It wasn't a demand, but it wasn't really a question either, because Cosima was already in motion, tugging Delphine with her.

"Are you sure she's okay?" Delphine asked stopping and turning toward Sarah again. "If she's lost…"

"She's fine. Trust me, Del-" Cosima stopped herself, but not before catching Sarah stiffen ever so slightly. Had she noticed? "She'll be fine. Come on."

Again Cosima was tugging at Delphine and this time the French woman followed. Every so often Cosima would glance over her shoulder, but Sarah was nowhere to be found. And finally, when everything seemed safe and sound, Cosima slowed her pace to a leisure stroll.

"Is everything okay?" Delphine asked, finally breaking the silence. "You seem distracted."

"No, everything's good, everything's perfect," Cosima said. "Is there something you needed from me?"

The question seemed to trigger something within Delphine, because suddenly she was pulling Cosima off to the side, stopping their forward progress.

"I wanted to thank you again for your help yesterday," said Delphine.

Cosima waved her arms, trying to indicate it was no big deal, but Delphine pushed forward.

"I turned in my lab this morning and Doctor Dean seemed very impressed with my work. I couldn't have done it without you, Cosima, and I was wondering…" At this Delphine dropped her gaze to the ground, a slight tinge of red creeping up her neck. "I was wondering if I could buy you dinner and drinks. You know, as a thank you."

Her words were rushed and somewhat jumbled.

"What? Like a date?" Cosima joked.

"Oh, I…"

"I'm kidding!" Cosima said, giving the blonde, who was now a bright shade of red, a slight nudge. "Totally kidding. But yeah, dinner and drinks. That sounds great, let's do it."

Her answer seemed to soothe Delphine's nerves, because suddenly the blonde was all smiles again.

"Great! How about tonight?" Delphine asked. "I know a great little place nearby."

"I'll be there."

* * *

Delphine's "great little place nearby" ended up being a quaint little French restaurant just a few blocks from campus. While the outside was nothing fancy to look at, the inside exuded a rustic charm, outmatched only by its selection of classic French cuisines and wine offerings. Cosima and Delphine sat comfortably in the corner, the whole place basically to themselves.

"What did you order me, Delphine?" Cosima asked, poking at plate of stew in front of her. "Because whatever it is, it smells delicious."

"That's Poulet Basquaise. It's basically a chicken, pepper and tomato stew." Delphine answered.

"And what did you get?"

"This is Sole Meunière. It's sort of a crispy, buttery, lemony fish." Delphine said, taking a bite. "Would you like to try some?"

Cosima nodded, about to hand her fork over, when Delphine sliced off a piece with her own utensil. Carefully, with one hand cupping underneath, Delphine passed the fish over to Cosima.

"Here, careful. I don't want it to drip..."

Cosima reached for the fork, her fingers brushing lightly against Delphine's during the trade-off. If she found the exchange awkward, it was all forgotten as soon as the Sole Meunière hit her taste buds.

"Oh. My. God. That's amazing."

"You like it?"

"I love it. How did you find this place?" Cosima asked, scooping a bit of Poulet Basquaise into her mouth.

"I found it one night after I got very, very homesick."

"Homesick?"

"I'm from Paris, new here this semester," Delphine explained. "I didn't bring anyone with me, so it can get pretty lonely in this brave new world…"

"I'm sorry," Cosima said. "It must be tough to be so far away from your family."

"It is," Delphine shrugged, "but I'm making new friends."

Delphine briefly glanced up at Cosima, before taking another bite of her fish.

"So tell me about your family," Cosima said, leaning herself over the table. "Do you have a big family? Brothers? Sisters?"

Cosima was genuinely interested in getting to know the blonde, but she also realized she could use this opportunity to uncover whether Delphine Beraud was the very same Delphine Marion had told her about – the daughter of lead scientist number two on Project Leda. So far all Cosima knew was that Delphine was tall, blonde and French, just like one Doctor Bernard Cormier.

"Small family, no siblings," Delphine said, her voice quieter than before. "My mom raised me all by herself. My dad left when I was little."

"Oh god, Delphine, I'm so sorry."

"No, it's okay," Delphine said. "It was a long time ago. What about you, though? Big family? Siblings?"

"Oh, yeah – big family. Lots of sisters," Cosima said. "_Lots _of sisters."

Before another question could be asked, the waiter popped by the table asking the most important question of the night: "More wine?"

* * *

More wine? Cosima and Delphine happily indulged in more wine, so much so, that by the time they left the restaurant, the warm, fuzzy effects of the alcohol had already taken control of their bodies. Arm and arm, the two inebriated women walked down the sidewalk while Cosima told yet another one of her stories.

"So I told him: 'You get to have sex… with yourself," Cosima said, falling into a fit of giggles.

Delphine laughed too, just barely able to get her next question out. "And what did he say?"

"Awesome deal."

At that, both women doubled over in a burst of laughter, having to clutch on to each other to keep from falling over. They stood like this, their loud giggles ringing throughout the quiet night, until they were left gasping for air.

"Oh, shit. This is me. This is my apartment," Cosima said, finally noticing their surroundings. "Would you like to come up? I've got booze, coffee, water…"

"I'll take a coffee, if you don't mind."

Grabbing her hand, Cosima pulled Delphine inside and up the stairs until they were standing just inside the spacious apartment.

"I'm sorry, it's a bit messy," Cosima said, shuffling some books on a nearby table. "I wasn't expecting company."

"It's perfect," Delphine said, taking her time to survey the space. "It's so… you."

Delphine moved herself throughout the apartment, running her fingers over the books, papers and pictures she found along the way. See seemed completely captivated, taking her time to explore every nook and cranny.

Cosima just watched, slowly walking backwards so as not to miss a moment. She was headed for the kitchen when suddenly her whole body collided with the desk. Cosima reached out to steady herself, her hand landing on the keyboard of her laptop, making the dormant machine suddenly spring to life.

"Ow my ow! Shit!" Cosima cursed loudly, rubbing the part of her leg that had smacked the desk. "Shit, that really hurt. I'm going to need something stronger than coffee after…"

Cosima stopped talking, the expression on Delphine's face being the reason why. The blonde stood frozen, her face suddenly very pale. Before Cosima could ask why, Delphine raised a shaky hand and pointed at something on the desk – the computer.

Brows furrowed, Cosima turned to look and then she saw it – the grainy image of Doctor Bernard Cormier, Delphine's presumed father, was still displayed on the computer screen from her chat with Marion. She had never closed it out. Before she could say anything, though, Delphine was already out the door.

"Shit."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thank you to those who continue to read and/or comment!  
**

* * *

He may have walked out on her and her mother when she was just 8 years old, but Delphine knew what her father looked like. She had some photographs. Not only photographs, but also a small box of his things, all given to her by her mother on her eighteenth birthday. Her mother had told her the box contained the truth about her father, the truth about the past, but Delphine had only found disappointment when she opened that box on her birthday 11 years ago. All that was inside were some old books and some trinkets, nothing that explained her father's sudden desertion or why her mother still considered him a "good man."

All these years, though, Delphine kept the items, as per her mother's request. Though admittedly, they almost didn't make the trip across the Atlantic with her. See, Delphine considered the University of Minnesota her new start, a new beginning, and the remnants of the coward who walked out 21 years earlier were not exactly welcome on the journey. Nevertheless, stowed away on the upper shelf of her closet, behind several boxes, sat the small, old dusty box of her father's possessions.

That picture, though; the one on Cosima's computer. Delphine had never seen that photo of her father before. He looked young, the photo obviously taken years earlier, before he abandoned his family. But where had it come from? What did it mean? And more importantly, why did Cosima have it?

"Merde," Delphine said with a huff, downing the rest of the wine from her wineglass.

Curiosity was already clawing its way into her mind. Soon her every thought would be consumed by it. The last thing Delphine wanted to do was delve into her father's past, but this – the photograph, Cosima, the apparent connection to her long-lost father – was too strange to ignore. It was like some big, complicated scientific equation and she now had to solve for the unknown.

Delphine paced back and forth, eyeing the closet uneasily every time it came into view. Finally, after a few deep breaths and a generous refill of her wineglass, she opened the closet and started digging. Box after box was pulled from the top shelf until there was only one small box left – her father's possessions.

"If you want to go forward, then you have to go back," Delphine quietly reminded herself. The words were meant to encourage, were meant to persuade, and finally, after some hesitation, she pulled the box down.

The contents inside were arranged exactly as she had left them. She found a book (_The War of the Worlds_), her father's old Dyad ID badge, some newspaper clippings, an old pair of glasses and three photographs. Delphine picked up the photos first and examined each one closely. One photo was of Bernard Cormier at his college graduation. Another showed the man holding a small baby, the backside reading: _Delphine, Dec 21, 1984_. However, it was the third photo that caught Delphine's eye. In it her father stood smiling, his arms wrapped around a short woman and a round, pudgy man. Each wore crisp, white lab coats. Delphine flipped the picture over and read the caption: _Fournier and Hendrix, Dyad_.

"Fournier…," Delphine said thinking out loud, "why does that sound familiar?"

Delphine set the pictures aside and pulled out the remaining items, studying each one before placing it on the table. Finally she pulled out the book, _The War of the Worlds. _The book was badly worn, its pages nearly falling out from the broken binding. Delphine ran her fingers over the cover, before carefully opening its pages. She thumbed through the brittle paper, careful not to tear anything when suddenly another photo fluttered out from its pages.

Delphine picked up the photograph from the floor, turned it over in her hands and nearly fell over from shock. Staring back at her were thirteen little girls, each identical in appearance, save for one. Delphine recognized the tall blonde, the oddball, at once – it was her. When she turned the photo over it read: _Delphine with Project Leda (Rachel, Sarah, Helena, Alison, Beth, Antoinette, Danielle, Katja, Aryanna, Jennifer, Janika & Cosima)_

* * *

**One Week Later**

"Sorry we're eating so late," Alison apologized, taking a seat at the table, "but if Cosima would have arrived on time…"

Alison shot Cosima a glare across the dinner table to which Cosima just shrugged. Next to her Sarah chuckled.

"How many times do I have to tell you guys?" Cosima asked, pouring herself a large glass of wine. "I'm kind of always late, so kind of always sorry."

"Maybe next time I tell Marion," Alison said. It was meant to be a threat, but again Cosima just shrugged.

"Go ahead, see if I care," Cosima said. Then turning to Sarah she asked, "Hey Sarah, can you pass me the weird-looking potatoes?"

"Hey, I made those!"

That was it; Sarah had heard enough squabbling from the two.

"That's enough," Sarah said, throwing her arms between Cosima and Alison. "Let's get down to business, yeah?"

The three nodded, though not before Cosima and Alison threw glares across the table at each other.

"How's the hunt for Delphine coming, Cos?" Sarah continued. "Any progress?"

"Nothing yet," Cosima sighed, poking at some food on her plate. "I've check the school directory, but there is no Delphine Cormier listed."

It was a lie, sure, but Cosima couldn't tell them the truth. Alison and Sarah would be beyond upset with her if they knew she had scared off the Frenchwoman. Cosima was already upset with herself. Especially since she hadn't seen the blonde since.

"Keep looking. We need her," Sarah said. "We don't know how much time we have before Project Castor finds out about her. They always seem to be just a step behind."

Cosima nodded and poured herself more wine. "What about Helena? Any word from her?"

"No, but Cal's working on it," Sarah said, her voice quieter than normal. "He's good with all that hacking shite. Kira keeps asking about her 'Auntie Helena' though."

"We'll find her, Sarah," Alison said, reaching across the table to grab Sarah's hand. "We've got everyone looking for her, even Marion."

For a few moments no one said a word, the only sound being the scraping of forks across plates. Cosima took the time to top off everyone's wine glass.

"Speaking of Marion," Cosima started, "what has she tasked you with, Alison?"

Immediately Alison flung her hand to her cheek and shook her head.

"Lord and butter, I don't even know!" Alison squeaked. "She wants me to find out the names of the two missing clones. How do I even do that?"

Cosima and Sarah shared a smile. The task did seem rather impossible, but it was always funny to see Alison freak out. Marion must've enjoyed it too, because she always seemed to task Alison with the ludicrous assignments.

"Man, what will Marion think when you tell her you've failed yet another assignment?" Cosima asked jokingly.

"Yeah, Alison," Sarah joined in, "What if Marion decides it's time to add a seventh name to the dead clones list?"

"Shut up you two and pass me the wine."

* * *

Cosima steadied herself against the wall as she tried to maneuver herself up the stairs to her apartment. As usual, one of Alison's little dinner parties had offered ample amounts of wine and now Cosima was paying the price. Her journey home afterward had been labored, but it was these stairs that were proving to be her biggest enemy. With slow, determined steps she finally made it to her landing. Only a few more steps to go when suddenly…

"Delphine?"

Cosima had to squint to see, but sure enough it was the tall blonde who was leaned against her door. As soon as Cosima said her name, the blonde was on her feet. In one had she held a photograph, in the other she grasped a small box.

"What are you doing here?" Cosima asked.

She took a step forward, which in turn made Delphine take a step back.

"Don't come any closer," Delphine warned.

Cosima raised her arms in surrender and chuckled.

"You do realize this is _my _apartment, right?" Cosima asked. "I pay to live here."

"Explain this."

Ignoring Cosima's cheeky comment, Delphine, with a trembling hand, held up the photo. Cosima leaned forward and squinted, but even then it was impossible to see the small image.

"You mind if I…?" Cosima asked tentatively, motioning between herself and Delphine.

Delphine nodded and so Cosima slowly made her way toward the blonde, her hands still raised in surrender position. When she was about a foot away she stopped and leaned in.

"Holy watershed," Cosima said, grabbing the picture from Delphine's grasp. She flipped it over and read the back. "Did this belong to your dad?"

"You tell me, since you seem to know him so well."

Cosima reached her hand out to the Frenchwoman – a comforting gesture – but once again Delphine took a step back.

"Listen, I'll explain everything," Cosima said, "but only if you promise not to run away again."

Delphine considered the idea, taking her time to mull it over when suddenly more footsteps where heard in the hallway. Both girls turned at the noise.

"Oi, Oi, Cosima, you forgot-"

Sarah stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted the two other women. Sarah looked between them, a sly smile spreading across her lips.

"Well, what do we have here?" Sarah asked. "Geek Monkey brought her lab partner home..."

Before Sarah could say anything more, Cosima stepped aside and let the two women fully study each other.

"Sarah, this is Delphine – _the _Delphine," Then she pointed at the picture in Delphine's hand and added, "Delphine, this is Sarah. One of my many sisters."

"Holy shite."

"Merde."

"Welcome to the trip."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello! A few people expressed interest in this fic, so here's a (very long overdue) update! I'll try my best to balance updates between this and ****_That Old Familiar Feeling_****. Thanks for reading! **

* * *

"You knew," Sarah spat, her words filled with ire. "You knew about her this whole time and didn't tell anyone!"

Sarah paced back and forth inside Cosima's apartment, every so often throwing a dirty look at the blonde. Delphine, for her part, stood in the corner, the box of her father's things pulled tightly to her chest. In between the pair stood Cosima; a human shield.

"Sarah, I didn't know," Cosima explained, trying to diffuse the situation. "I mean, I had a hunch, but I didn't know, _know_. You know? I had to be certain."

Sarah rolled her eyes and took a step toward the blonde, only to be met by Cosima.

"If she knows where Helena is…" Sarah started.

"She doesn't," Cosima interjected. "In fact, I don't think she knows anything about us."

Cosima and Sarah both turned to look at Delphine. She was still huddled in the corner, the box of trinkets still clutched to her chest, her eyes wide; a scared puppy.

"Does she at least know where Cormier is?" Sarah asked.

Both turned to look at Delphine again. The blonde shook her head.

"No," Delphine said quietly, her first words since the big reveal. "He abandoned us when I was eight."

Sarah threw her hands up.

"Well that's bloody fuckin' great," Sarah growled. "She knows nothing; she's useless!"

"Calm down, Sarah," Cosima said, pushing the brunette toward the door. "Let me talk to her. Who knows, she might know something."

"Doubt it." Sarah threw a look over her shoulder at Delphine. "Look at her. She doesn't know shite."

Cosima rolled her eyes and opened the apartment door, ushering Sarah through it.

"Go home, Sarah. We'll talk later."

Sarah pushed away from Cosima and stalked down the hallway. Turning, she added: "Hey Cos… Keep it in your pants, yeah?"

With Sarah gone, Cosima closed the door and leaned against it, her attention on Delphine.

"Sorry about her, she's a little wound up," Cosima offered. "We all are."

Cosima took a step toward Delphine, but stopped when the blonde flinched. Instead she redirected her steps toward the kitchen.

"Can I get you something?" Cosima asked, pointing at the fridge. "Water? Soda? Wine?"

Delphine shook her head, her body still curled in the corner. Cosima heaved a sigh and turned toward the blonde.

"Look, I know this situation is complex…" Cosima took a step toward Delphine. "And I know you're feeling lost…" Another step. "But I think you might be able to help us."

"How?"

"Your dad."

"I already told you, he left-"

"When you were young, I know," Cosima finished. She took a seat on the couch and patted the cushion next to her. "But you've already helped tonight."

Delphine scrunched her eyebrows together, but Cosima pointed at the photograph in her hand.

"Your photo," Cosima said. "Up until tonight, we didn't know the names of the two missing clones. Now we do. Alison owes you a thank you."

"Clones…? Alison…?" Delphine shook her head and looked at the photograph in her hand. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand."

Cosima patted at the couch again. "I'll tell you everything I know. Who knows? Maybe it'll spark a memory."

And so Cosima told Delphine everything. She talked about the clones ("There's twelve of us."). She talked about Ethan Duncan and Bernard Cormier ("They created us."). She talked about Marion Bowles ("She's helping us."). And finally she talked about Project Castor (They're killing us.").

Delphine reached out and gripped Cosima's forearm, stopping her mid-sentence. "Someone's killing you?"

"Crazy, right?" Cosima said, with a nod. "Six are dead already." Reaching forward, Cosima grabbed the _Delphine with Project Leda _picture from the table and flipped it over, displaying the names. "According to Marion: Danielle was killed in France, Aryanna in Italy, Janika in Austria, Katja in Germany, Jennifer somewhere in the Midwest, and most recently Beth…" Cosima paused and gave a wistful smile. "She's the one who found all of us, you know… Her death was particularly hard on Alison."

Delphine ran her finger over the photo caption. "What about these other names?"

"These two – Rachel and Antoinette – they're the missing clones," Cosima said, pointing at the names. "No one knows where they are, or if they're even alive for that matter. And Helena…" Cosima paused, another sad smile. "Helena is Sarah's twin sister, and she's been captured. We think by Project Castor, but who really knows?"

"I'm sorry," Delphine said, shaking her head, "but what's the point in killing all of you? I don't understand."

"Marion thinks it's to hide the evidence." When Delphine gave another confused look, Cosima continued. "See, Project Leda was never meant to the leave the lab. We were just proof of concept."

"Merde," Delphine whispered, running a hand through her hair. She picked up the picture and turned it over, thirteen little faces staring back. "So this is what you meant when you said you had a lot of sisters."

Cosima nodded with a small laugh. Next to her, Delphine leaned back and blew out a long breath of air.

"And my father? What else do you know about him?

Cosima shifted on the couch so she was facing Delphine.

"Not much. Marion says he disappeared in 1992, went into hiding." Cosima paused, determining how to delicately put her next words. "He's in danger too, Delphine. Ethan Duncan was killed by Project Castor for his research. We think they're after your dad now too. So see Delphine…" Cosima reached out and laid a hand on Delphine's knee. "I don't think your dad abandoned you, I think he was protecting you. The only way he knew how."

Cosima's words were like a blow to Delphine's gut. All these years, Delphine had assumed the worst of her father. Delphine dropped her head in her hands; this was all becoming too much.

Cosima gently rubbed her back. "Think you can answer a few of my questions?

Dabbing at her eyes, Delphine gave a nod. "I'll try my best."

"Okay, let's start with something easy – Beraud. Maiden name, I'm assuming?

Delphine nodded. "After my father left, my mother reverted back to her maiden name."

"Cool, cool," Cosima said, bobbing her head. "Do you remember anything about your dad? Any details?"

Delphine shook her head. "Non, not really. My mother said he spent a lot of time in the lab. Sometimes he would even bring me along to play with the experiments…" Delphine trailed off, her eyes on Cosima. "Cosima, we knew of each other twenty-one years ago…"

"Dude, that's crazy..."

Cosima and Delphine stared at each other until Delphine finally broke the connection. Turning, she pulled the small box from beside her and set it on the table.

"This is all I have left of him," Delphine said. "There's not much in there, I'm afraid."

Cosima reached for the box, then paused. "May I?"

Delphine nodded. Cosima flipped the cover open and took a deep breath. Carefully, she pulled the items – the book, the newspaper clippings, the photos, etc – from the box, placing each on the table.

"The War of the Worlds," Cosima mumbled, running her fingers over the book's cover, "one of my favorites." Next Cosima grabbed the pictures, studying each one, before flipping it over to read the caption on the back. One photo in particular – the one with Cormier and two scientists – caught her attention. "Fournier and Hendrix…" Cosima read aloud. Then: "Holy watershed!"

Delphine peered at Cosima. "Does that mean something to you?"

"Alison's last name is Hendrix." Cosima flipped the picture back over. "Do you think this woman – Hendrix – do you think she worked on Project Leda with your father?"

Cosima's eyes were wide, but Delphine only shook her head and shrugged.

"I'm sorry, Cosima. I don't know. One could assume, yes?"

Cosima stared at the picture once more, before dropping it on the table. Wordlessly, she examined the remaining items in the box.

"So that's everything?" Cosima asked.

Delphine shrugged. "As far as I know."

Cosima reached out and picked up the paperback book again. She took her time thumbing through the pages, careful not to rip the brittle pieces of paper. On the second thumb-through she stopped and pulled the book closer.

"Hey look!" Cosima said, pointing at a page. "Your dad wrote something. It looks like an equation."

Delphine leaned in close; she had never seen that before. Cosima turned a few more pages, only to find more notes.

"Look, more!"

This time the scrawled words read: '_sterility concept – degrade the endometrium, prevent ovarian follicles from maturing_.' A few pages later, more handwriting: '_spindle protein problem?'_ Cosima looked at Delphine, who nodded at her to keep going. Cosima flipped more pages. One after another after another, all blank until finally on one of the very last pages she found: '_Don't trust Marion Bowles._'


	5. Chapter 5

**A Few Days Later…**

"It's just not practical," Delphine said, emerging from the closest, a pile of shirts stacked in her hands. "I really think you're overreacting." The blonde maneuvered through her apartment, careful to dodge a forgotten pile of shoes, before dropping the shirts into a suitcase. "I mean, I don't even know Marion Bowles."

"You need a safe place to stay," Cosima said, following closely behind, a stack of shirts balancing in her hands too. "It's only a matter of time before someone tracks you to this apartment. Sarah and Alison agree."

Delphine shot the brunette a look, snatching the pile of shirts from her and unceremoniously dumping them into the suitcase. With shaky hands, Delphine hastily began repacking the garments, folding – and refolding – until finally she just threw everything messily into the suitcase.

"Merde!"

"Hey," Cosima said, placing her hand over Delphine's trembling one. She dipped her head to look at the blonde. "It'll be okay. Everything will be okay."

Delphine turned away from the brunette and wiped at her eyes, the faintest sniffle escaping.

"Whoa, hey. Please don't cry, Delphine," Cosima said, tugging the blonde into a hug. Cosima held her close, gently rubbing her back. When they finally pulled apart, Cosima found Delphine's eyes and softly wiped away a leftover tear. "I'm not _that _bad to live with. Promise."

※ ※ ※

"I think it's a clue."

Delphine jumped at the sudden words. It was the first time either had spoken after hours of packing. Since finishing, both had retired to the couch, Delphine with a cigarette and Cosima with a joint, a heady cloud of smoke between them.

"What's a clue?" Delphine finally asked.

Cosima pointed at _The War of the Worlds _paperback laying the coffee table.

"Okay, maybe not a clue, but, like, advice." When Delphine gave her a puzzled look, Cosima dropped her joint in an ashtray and pulled the book onto her lap. "Just hear me out, okay? Your dad left when you were eight, right? Well, what if he needed to get a message to you – an older you – but he knew he couldn't contact you without exposing himself?" Cosima rose from the couch and started pacing the room, this time her hands flinging to and fro, the book going along for the ride. "So what does he do? He writes it somewhere secret, like a book," Cosima continues, waving the paperback, "and tells your mom to give it to you on your eighteenth birthday…"

"I don't know," Delphine said, taking a drag from her cigarette. She slowly blew out the smoke before continuing. "Seems rather cryptic, non?"

"Well, duh, Delphine!" Cosima said, plunking down on the couch again and reclaiming her joint. "The message has to be cryptic, you know, in case it ends up in the wrong hands or something. Man, you'd make a terrible spy." Cosima punctuated the last statement by taking a long drag from her joint. "So, what do you think? Is it possible?"

Delphine stared into Cosima's excited eyes. "I think…" Delphine hesitated, then with a small laugh she finished. "I think you are high."

Cosima stared at Delphine, before suddenly bursting into a fit of giggles. "Obvs… Join me?"

Cosima held the joint out to Delphine, who faltered before reaching out and—

**_KNOCK. KNOCK._**

Both women jumped at the sudden interruption.

"You expecting someone?" Cosima asked, rising to answer the door. When Delphine made to follow, Cosima held up a hand. "You stay. Let me check it out."

Delphine opened her mouth to protest, but Cosima held a finger to her mouth. And then she swung the door open. Standing on the other side was a young man. He stood tall, almost rigid in the hallway, his attire looking like something out of yesteryear.

"Can I help you?"

The young man ran a hand over his slicked hair, before letting it rest on his giant belt buckle. "Is Miss Beraud home?" His voice was soft, but still commanding.

"Who's asking?"

The two stared at each other, before Delphine wrestled the door further open.

"Mark!" Delphine exclaimed. Turning to Cosima she explained, "This is my neighbor, Mark. He recently moved into the building."

Cosima looked between the pair, her eyes narrowed.

"Mark Rollins," the young man introduced. He held his hand out to Cosima, who gave it a quick shake.

"Can we help you, Mark?" Cosima asked again, her voice curt. Delphine gave the woman a nudge, before shooting the man an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," the man spoke, his eyes on Delphine, "but I received your mail again, Miss Beraud." He held out a few envelopes to Delphine, who took a few seconds to shuffle through the bits of paper. "Oh, are you going somewhere?"

Mark's question surprised Delphine, and when she looked up she found the man staring at her suitcases by the door.

"Oh, I'm just-"

"That's not really any of your business," Cosima interrupted. "In fact, we should be going. Nice meeting you, Mark."

Cosima pulled the door shut, but Mark didn't acknowledge the brunette. Instead he kept his piercing gaze on Delphine, never leaving her until the door closed between them.

"Cosima that was very rude," Delphine scolded, but Cosima was already grabbing at one of the suitcases.

"Delphine, we should go. Like, now."

* * *

"It'll just be us adults tonight, no Kira. Sarah left her with Mrs. S. So…" Cosima nodded toward the metal door, her hand hovering above it, ready to knock. "You ready for this?"

When Delphine gave a slight nod, Cosima brought her hand down, causing a loud metallic thump to rumble through the hall. Not two seconds later the door slid open to reveal a skinny young man.

"Felix, hey," Cosima started, "this is Del- "

"Oh, now I get it," the young man drawled out. His eyes slid between Cosima and Delphine, before finally landing on the blonde.

"Oi Fee, who is it?" Sarah's voice called from somewhere inside.

"It's Cosima," Felix said, pushing the loft door completely open. "And she's got baggage."

Cosima glared at the boy, before pulling Delphine inside the apartment and toward the strangers that waited within. Everyone stared at each other, no one saying a word until finally Felix stepped forward.

"Felix," the boy introduced, reaching a hand out to Delphine, "honorary member of clone club and foster brother to that one there." He jabbed a thumb toward Sarah, who gave a quick nod.

Delphine shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Felix."

Next the woman stepped forward.

"I'm Alison Hendrix." Alison seemed apprehensive, a bit jittery, but offered Delphine a curt handshake anyway before stepping away quickly. Delphine watched her retreating form. It was obvious she was another clone, and yet she seemed so different from both Cosima and Sarah…

Finally the last stranger in the room stepped forward. He was tall, ruggedly handsome, and when he offered his hand, he used the other to brush a loose strand of dark brown hair from his eyes.

"I'm Cal," the man said. "It's nice to meet you, Delphine." He smiled warmly at the blonde and shook her hand.

"So, Delphine," Felix drawled out. "How's life at Casa de Niehaus?"

Delphine turned toward the boy, offering him a polite smile. "She's been very accommodating these past couple days," Delphine answered.

"Oh, I bet she has," the boy smirked, earning a smack from Cosima. "Whoa, hey! What was that for?"

"You two are worse than Kira, ya know that?" Sarah said stepping forward. "Enough of this shite. How 'bout some drinks, yeah?"

※ ※ ※

"That's certainly my mother," Alison said, peering at the picture of Hendrix, Fournier and Cormier, a large glass of wine balanced in her hand. After a long sip of wine, she continued. "I didn't know my mother was capable of smiling. She's a very unpleasant woman, you know." Alison paused, looking up at the others. Sarah, Felix and Cosima all rolled their eyes, but Delphine politely listened. (Cal was busy typing away on a computer). "I mean it; everybody hates my mother. Just ask my husband, Donnie." She punctuated her last statement with another gulp of wine.

Finally Sarah leaned forward and snatched the paperback book from off the table.

"This the book then, Cos?" Without waiting for an answer, Sarah flipped through the book finding Cormier's ominous warning among its last pages. "Is that it? This little bit of chicken scratch here?"

"That's it," Cosima confirmed. "What were you expecting?"

"I don't know," Sarah sighed, dropping the book back onto the table. "It's just some old notes."

"Yes, but what does it mean?" Cosima pushed. "Who was it meant for? Why is it written in that book? And how are Cormier and Marion connected?"

"You know, Sarah, Cosima raises some very good points," Alison cut in, earning another eye roll from Sarah. "What? She does!"

"How did you guys meet Marion?"

It was the first thing Delphine had said in awhile, and everyone turned to look at her.

"Uh…"

"Well, see…"

"It was right after Beth had contacted us," Sarah said, her voice quieter. "Remember?"

"Yes, that's right," Alison said, tapping her chin. "That's absolutely correct. Beth had just found us…" Alison let her words trail off.

"And we were contacted by Marion shortly thereafter," Sarah finished.

"She already knew so much about the clones. I guess we didn't even think to question her," Cosima piped in. "We are so stupid."

"Non, not stupid," Delphine said softly, looking at Cosima. "You were scared and you wanted answers."

"So what happens now?" Felix said. "Do you stop trusting her?" When no one said anything, he continued. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't she the one who's been helping you this whole time? Keeping you safe? Everything she's said so far has been true."

"Wait!" Cosima blurted, making all eyes turn toward her. "What if she _works_ for Dyad? That would explain her connection to Cormier."

Felix and Sarah groaned. "Come off it, Cos," Sarah said, waving a hand. "Dyad is who she's been protecting us from!" When Cosima didn't look satisfied, Sarah continued. "Look, we're not going to just stop trusting her because of some shite this one's dad wrote in a book some years ago." Sarah said, nodding toward Delphine.

"So, what then?" Cosima asked. "You're just going to sit here and wait to die? Somebody is _killing _us, Sarah."

At this Alison let out a little squeak, her hand coming to rest on her cheek. "What are you suggesting, Cosima?"

"I think…" Cosima stalled, deciding how to delicately put her next words. "I think we need to pay a visit to the Dyad Institute."

Sarah scoffed. "You know bloody well we can't show our face there."

"Maybe I can be of help." And for the third time that night, all eyes were on Delphine.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting this! I had planned to post it sooner, but then life got hectic. I know this chapter has a lot of character introductions, so I hope it wasn't too dry. More suspense and mystery from here on out! As always, thanks for reading!**


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